Personal Characteristics and Contextual Conditions of Student Teachers Who "Fail": Setting a Course for Understanding Failure in Teacher Education.

Sudzina, Mary R.; Knowles, J. Gary

This paper provides a framework for examining the phenomenon of failure in student or practice teaching. The "failed" and "withdrawn" records and files of 25 student teachers over a 10-year period were analyzed. These cases represent the stories of preservice teachers who participated in teacher preparation at a large, regional research university and at a medium-sized parochial university. Particular gender, age, experiential, personal, familial, and other characteristics were evident in these individuals. The primary difficulties that the student teachers faced related to issues of classroom management, teaching effectiveness, organizational skills, communication abilities, and personal attributes. Conditions that promoted failure revolved around incongruent placements and subject problems, poor interpersonal relationships with cooperating or supervising teachers, and difficulties associated with understanding particular student or community populations. The paper maps out the massive weaknesses in knowledge of this phenomenon and suggests a course for future research. The paper concludes with 6 tables and 30 selected references. (Author/LL)